Trump holds off on Iran deal decision after two-hour Situation Room meeting
Iran’s foreign ministry said talks were continuing but denied that any final agreement had been reached, adding Tehran was “focused on ending the war” and was not negotiating over the nuclear issue
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he was entering the White House Situation Room to make a “final determination” on a proposed memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But the meeting ended after two hours without a decision, according to a senior administration official cited by the New York Times, who said an agreement remained close but that unresolved issues included the possible unfreezing of Iranian funds.
The proposed MoU, announced by the White House on Thursday, would extend the Iran ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. During that period, Washington and Tehran would hold further talks on curbing Iran’s nuclear programme.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran’s highly enriched uranium would be removed and destroyed by the US, although that provision does not appear in the reported terms of the MoU. Iran’s foreign ministry said talks were continuing but denied that any final agreement had been reached, adding that Tehran was “focused on ending the war” and was not negotiating over the nuclear issue.
The deal is also reported to include financial incentives for Iran, possibly including sanctions relief and a reconstruction investment fund. Iranian sources said Tehran was seeking the immediate release of $12bn in frozen assets before moving to the next phase of negotiations.
Trump, however, said “no money will be exchanged, until further notice”, while also suggesting that a US naval blockade in the Strait could be lifted. Tehran has separately demanded a full ceasefire in Lebanon, in line with Hezbollah’s position, as part of efforts to end the wider regional conflict.